One of the green tomato varieties with the largest beefsteak-type fruits. Individual fruits can weigh over 600 grams. The plant is very vigorous, fast-growing, and high-yielding. The fruits are deep green, very fleshy, and contain very few seeds. The skin is very delicate, so care must be taken to avoid bruising them. When overripe, the tomatoes turn orange-yellow. One of the tastiest green tomatoes, honored with the title of “Best Tasting Tomato” at the 2003 Heirloom Garden Show. A late-season variety, it reaches maturity approximately 85 days after planting.
The name honors Ruby Arnold of Greeneville, Tennessee, who grew this variety for many years. According to Tatiana’s TOMATObase, the seeds were passed from Nita Hofstrom to Bill Minkey, who made them available in the 1993 Seed Savers Exchange catalog. The green color of the flesh is a characteristic of ripe fruit, not a sign that you need to wait for it to turn red like a classic tomato.
